Update on Michael...

Michael is having open heart surgery at noon today at Children's Medical Ctr of Dallas. After looking at his heart with the camera, M's cardiologist didn't feel comfortable using the cath to repair his ASD - it is up to 19mm in some places & he has very little supportive tissue to hold the device in place. So open heart surgery is the option. Thank you for your prayers :)

Thanksgiving Fun

I took so many pics at Thanksgiving! I just couldn't decide which ones to post so I'm doing a photo-overload post :) We had a great time in Lewisville with A's family. On Tuesday we met with M's new heart dr. at Dallas Childrens & are happy to report that we loved her & feel much better about everything - his procedure is scheduled for this Thursday, 12/6 at Dallas Childrens. On Tuesday night I got to have some girl time - Candice, Ikea & Mexican food - 3 of my favorites :-) On Wednesday the weather was warm & perfect for playing outside - croquet was popular, as usual. We are THRILLED that Matt, Amanda & Henry have recently moved to Lewisville - our first Thanksgiving with them! It was so great!! On Friday I got to have even more girl time - yipee! Michael & I drove to Arlington to see Carrie & her kiddos for some fun visiting, playing & a quick trip to Hobby Lobby :)

just chillin'

Love these of our girl 

Sweet cousins - only 6 months apart!

lots of fun "BB" time!

lots of fun "Muncle Steven" time!

Just having a chat & enjoying the view - love it.

Stopping to smell the roses...

"Hey...where did everybody go? Playing train isn't much fun by myself."

"Hehehe...I snuck a cupcake when Mommy wasn't looking. And it was gooood." :)

David is 18 months old! 11-11-2012

Our sweet D-Man is changing by the day. I had forgotten how much fun (& BuSy!!) this stage is. He walks around the house baby-talking & looks at us, lifts his hands as he talks & really tells us stories. It is quite funny. He is saying a few words every now & then, but definitely not a big talker yet. He loves to hug & cuddle - when I'm getting him dressed he always gives me a hug. For a while he cried when we dropped him off at school or at church, but he seems to be over it now - he walks right in his rooms. He loves to stack things & pretend to talk on the phone. He continues to love eating - as soon as I lift him out of his crib every morning, he signs "eat" while saying "e." He also likes to sneak in Kate's room & jump on her bed - until I find him :) It has been so fun watching him play with M & K - they are so sweet with him (well, most of the time :) 

Okie Dokie Daddy Day

All the kindergarten classes at Michael's school had "Okie Dokie Daddy Day" last week. Dads & kids dressed in their best cowboy gear & the dads went up to school from 1 to 3 for biscuits & gravy, cowboy games & a music program. Michael was so excited to share this special time with his Daddy & they even won the barrel race! 

This & That

*As I was telling Michael goodnight he said, "I'll never stop hugging & kissing you, Mommy!"

(So sweet - I'll remind him of this when he's 16 :)

*Kate said, "Mommy, I'm going to look in your mirror to see if I look pretty." 

*At naptime yesterday Kate was crying because she didn't want to take a nap. We had this conversation - I said, "Do you want socks on?" "Nooo." "Do you want to be covered up?" "Nooo." "Do you need a drink?" "Nooo." "Do you want to be miserable?" "Yesss." "Ok, see you in a little while." "Okkk."

*This week David said 2 new words - Thank you (ta ew) & David (day day)

*Michael had a big day yesterday - he had a soccer game at 8am & 2pm - between the games he was invited over to play & have lunch at his friend, Brayden's house. I just can't believe our boy is getting old enough for playdates like that. 

*Mom & I actually took a picture together while she was here!! So thankful for her :) 

*And for the 5 readers of my blog :) here is a little update on Michael - 

On Monday we showed up at the hospital at 8:30 for M's surgery. We checked in & waited over an hour. The nurse called us back to the surgery prep room & took M's vitals, weighed him, etc. 4 sets of wonderful family & friends were in the waiting room & we were emotionally ready to get this over with! Michael was such a champ & was completely calm with it all. Then our pediatric cardiologist walked into the room. He told us that they wouldn't be able to do the surgery that day - their back up surgeon had an emergency medical situation and could no longer practice. The worst part - our dr. had known since the previous week but had failed to call us (even though he had been instructed to do so). Unbelievable. It was such a let down, especially emotionally. So here we are...still waiting to get this behind us. Michael's file has been sent to Dallas Children's & we are waiting to hear from them & get on their schedule, hopefully soon!! 

Art Lessons!

I am excited to announce that I will be teaching elementary art lessons, beginning January 8, 2013. Click here for more information --

http://alisanelsonoriginals.wordpress.com/art-lessons/

Last Game of the Season!

Halloween Fun

We had a great Halloween, thanks to our amazing neighborhood!! Michael dressed up as a fireman, Kate was a strawberry & David was a soccer player (who didn't feel very well :( At 5 we met in our neighborhood park to have hot dogs & a costume parade. Then everyone went trick or treating. Michael went with a lot of his school friends. David & I walked with some of the other moms. Andy took Kate & I'm fairly certain she thought it was the best night of her life so far :) She made Andy take her to EVERY single house - "Daddy, look the lights are on! Let's go there!" By the end of the evening Michael said, "Well, this has been fun. But I can't wait to get in my bed!" 

Michael's sweet friend, Faydra who lives a few houses down from us & is in his kindergarten class.

Kate walking with Addi, Cole & Morgan in the cute costume parade!

Michael's School Party

On Wednesday Michael's kindergarten class had their fall party. They played a scarecrow game, painted pumpkins & ate yummy snacks. It was a really cute party. I was super impressed with how well the class behaved & how Mrs. Branch managed the kids, even with lots of parents in the room & lots of distractions to their normal day :)

Michael the Kindergartener

I can't believe we are in the 3rd month of Kindergarten already. It is going so well. M continues to love going each day & loves his teacher. He comes home & tells me all that he is learning - "Today I learned about sneaky E!" The other day he got off the bus proudly wearing a construction paper/yarn necklace he had made. I let him buy his lunch one day a week & he loves that. 

Every morning he wakes up around 7 & we eat breakfast & he gets dressed. At 7:50 I walk him to the corner & we wait with our friends for the bus. I think this is still one of his favorite things about going to school. The funny thing about our bus stop right now is that it is 5 girls & Michael. He always sits with some sweet neighborhood girls on the bus (they are all in 4th & 5th grade! It makes me laugh!) They draw him pictures & I'm pretty sure he has all of them wrapped around his finger. I'm waiting for the day when they decide they're tired of a 5 year old boy following them around everywhere! :)

At 3:30 I sit in my garage & wait for the bus to drive by - then I walk to the corner. He always hops off, runs to me & hugs my legs. Then we walk home, get a snack & do his homework on the back porch. He is doing great with reading & sight words. His favorite books for me to read to him right now are Berenstain Bears - we read at least one every day.

In the last month or so, he has started drawing SO much. It is so much fun to watch him draw & hear him explain his drawings.

Sweet Moments

*When I picked K up from preschool on Wednesday she had so much to tell me, "Ethan touched my hand while I was on my nap mat. Willow wasn't at school today. I got to run in PE today. I got to color the letter 'F' today."
*When Michael walks in the house from school Kate will ask him, "How was school today, Michael?"
*If David needs his nose wiped (which seems to be often these days) Kate will say, "Mommy! Bubba needs his nose blowed!!!"
*She told me the other day, "Mommy, I need to blow my nose. Do we not pick our nose?"
*One day last week I overslept through my alarm. At 7am Michael touched my arm & said, "Mommy, it's 7 o'clock, time to wake up." Then a few minutes later when I was getting him breakfast he said, "I'm sorry I had to wake you up." Love my sweet boy :)
*Michael came home from school talking about his Halloween costume. He said he wasn't sure what he wanted to dress up as. I said I thought he was going to be a fireman. He said, "Well, I changed my brain. I want to be something else."
*M & K's FAVORITE song right now is Veggie Tale's Belly Button song. Every time we are in the car they want to listen to it. I love it - it makes me smile hearing their sweet voices sing.
*Yesterday before school M told me, "This afternoon I've got to, got to, got to clean my room!! I can't even walk in there!"

A Few More NM Pics

White Sands

While in NM we spent a day at White Sands (we left David at the cabin with Mommom & Papa George - not quite old enough yet :). We had a BLAST & and the weather was just perfect - cool & a little drizzle. Both M & K loved it & didn't want to leave. K has asked numerous times, "Are we going back to the sand?"